Article made from reeds, ratan, or the like.



G. E. PFENNIGHAUSBN & G. 'OKERFELT.

ARTICLE MADE PROM REEDS, RATAN, OR THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 21, 1913.

7 1,121,864, Patented Dec.22 ,1914.

ATTOR/( EY THE NORRIS PETERS C0,. PHOTO-LITHO. WASHING ION. D, C.

iUNFFED STAFES PATENT OFFKQE.

GOTI'IARD E. PFENNIGHAUSEN, OF WETHERSFIELD, AND GUST QKERFELT, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT.

ARTICLE MADE FROM REEDS, RATAN, 0R- TI-IE LIKE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 22, 1914:.

Application filed May 21, 1913. Serial No. 768,952.

To all whom it may concern:

Be 1t known that we, GOTHARD E. Prnlv- NIGHAUSEN and Gus'r OKERFELT, both citizens of the United States, and residents,-

respectively, of Wethersfield and Hartford, both in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and Improved Article Made from Reeds, Ratan, or the like, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates generally to the class of articles including wicker work, as a part at least of the articles, and an object of our invention, among others, is to provide a structure that shall be extremely strong and durable and comparatively inexpensive to manufacture.

One form of device embodying our invention and in the construction and use of which the objects herein set out, as well as others, may be attained, is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of a chair, having a portion formed from a fabric, embodying our invention. Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view, scale enlarged over Fig. 1, of a portion of the arm of the chair showing a roll containing our invention. Fig. 3 is a view in cross section through the support or rail illustrating the disposition of the lengthwise strands upon the stakes. Fig. 4: is a detail view in lengthwise central section through a part of the rail showing the manner of attaching the stakes thereto.

A purpose of our present invention is to improve upon the construction shown in our Patent No. 938,696, dated November 2nd, 1909, by forming a roll or like part that shall be practically adapted to withstand se- Vere usage. We have found that a fabric in the form of a roll having the crosswise strands or stakes composed of wire is strong and durable from the fact that these crosswise strands or stakes are substantially uniform as to strength, but a difliculty has been encountered in attaching these metal stakes to the rail by the simple manner of inserting the end of the stake in a hole in the rail, as the swelling and shrinking of the rail, commonly composed of wood, soon causes the stakes to become loose in their sockets.

Our invention embodies means for so attaching the stakes within a socket in the rail that the fastening will be secure at all times, irrespective of the swelling and shrinking of the wood, of which the rail is composed, by changes in atmospheric conditions. Such a structure is shown in the accompanying drawings in which the numeral 6 denotes a rocking chair as a whole having a fabric of wicker work composing the boundary of the back and the arms 7 of the chair. lhis wicker work is disposed in a roll and in forming this roll a base or rail 8 is constructed as a means of supporting the roll which is secured in any desired manner to the article of which it may form a part, as shown herein it being secured to the posts 9. Holes 10 are formed along this rail at suitable intervals and stakes or crosswise strands 11 are inserted with their ends within these holes. Owing to the bent or curved form of the roll it has been diiiicult to rapidly and efliciently insert the stakes composing a part of the structure, for the reason that they do not contain suflicient rigidity to enable them to be driven to place. In order therefore to enable the stakes to be rapidly inserted in place we have devised the construction made the subject matter of this'application, in which the end of the stake to be located within a hole has a back-turned part 12 resting closely against the main part of the stake, leaving a slight space 13 between the two, as shown in Fig. 4E of the drawings, whereby a spring action of the end of the back-turned part is obtained. This back-turned end forms a driving member upon which blows may be delivered for the purpose of driving the stakes to place.

The holes 10 are formed somewhat smaller in diameter than the distance between the outer sides of the extreme end of the backturned part and the body part immediately opposite it, so that when a stake is forced to place the back-turned end will be sprung toward the body part of the stake and the spring action of the back-turned part will hold the stake firmly in place in its socket. This spring action will cause the stakes to be held securely in place under all the varying conditions of swelling and shrinkage of the wooden rail owing to changes in atmospheric conditions.

The stakes being composed of wire, a roll including such stakes in its composition may be readily formed into a curve of any desired degree, which roll will maintain its shape under severe usage. In order to retain the lengthwise strands 1 f securely in place, each of the stakes has its end back-turned forming a loop 15 within which the lengthwise strands, forming the edge of the roll, are securely held against removal from the stakes.

The roll shown in the drawing herein is of curved form in cross section, but it will be understood that our invention contemplates a structure that may be of various shapes in cross section, angular or otherwise, and by the term roll as employed in this specification and the claims forming a part hereof is intended to include a structure in which the stakes are of any shape so long as they are secured with one end in the rail and the other free end of each stake has a loop to retain the lengthwise strands in place.

While we have shown and described herein a satisfactory structure embodying our invention, this may be departed from to a greater or lesser degree and yet be within the spirit and intent of the invention.

We claim 1. A comparatively rigid frame member comprising a support having sockets, stakes having laterally yielding back-turned ends of sufiicient rigidity to form driving means to permanently hold the stakes in place, and lengthwise strands interwoven with said stakes to form a fabric.

2. A comparatively rigid frame member comprising a support having sockets, stakes having laterally yielding back-turned ends disposed to form between them and the main part of the stakes spaces widest at the ends of the back-turned portions, the latter being sufliciently rigid to form driving means to permanently hold the stakes in place, and lengthwise strands interwoven in said stakes to form a fabric.

3. A support having sockets, stakes having back-turned ends of a length at least equal to the depth of the sockets, said ends being adapted to be driven into said sockets and effect a permanent wedging action with the sockets throughout the back, and lengthwise strands interwoven with said stakes to r GOTHARD E. PFENNIGHAUSEN. GUST OKERFELT.

Witnesses:

ARTHUR B. JENKINS, A. E. OBRIEN.

Gopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of l atents, Washington, I G. 

